The breast screeningunit which was in Poringland in the spring has now left the area. For patients that missed their appointment or are outside the screening age but can request screening once every three years, should call the screening team on 01603 287777.

Repeat prescriptions

When a prescription is issued, patients are provided with a list of medication the doctor has agreed is available on a regular basis (subject to certain checks and blood tests). There are various ways of ordering further supplies of the repeat medication. If you have requested a user name and password you can order on line (see below) or you can return the request slip to the surgery indicating which items you need again. Repeat medication can also be requested in person at the reception desk, on line or by using the designated telephone line for patients of both surgeries - 01508 494344.

Repeat prescriptions will be available for collection two working days after they are ordered. When ordering after 6.30pm, before 8am or at weekends or Bank Holidays, the two working days starts the next day the surgery is open.

Generic Medications - availability changes

New imposed arrangements by our drug wholesaler means that we will no longer be able to guarantee a specific make of the generic medication we provide.

Where appropriate, we will continue to maximise NHS budgets and prescribe medication by its generic name but will be unable to guarantee that the medication provided each month will be from the same manufacturer.

Whilst one month you may receive, for example, a pack of tablets made by TEVA, the following month the same drug may come from ACTIVAS. Both of these Companies are mainline suppliers of medication to pharmacies and dispensaries in England. The type and strength of your medication will remain the same.

On line ordering

Systmonline links patients directly to their clinical record at the surgery and confirms the medication and appliances the Doctor has agreed are available as a repeat item. Simply by placing a tick against the box next to the medication required will initiate the process of creating a repeat prescription.

Prescriptions will be available for collection from our dispensary either by yourself or your agent (which could be a local chemist or pharmacy) within two working days after they are ordered.

The service allows you to forward the Practice a message with the order and print a copy for your records. You will no longer receive an E Mail confirming receipt of your order.

If you do not have a user name and password, or need re-advising of them, these can be requested on the telephone, in person or by E Mail request to mail.heathgate@nhs.net. The access passwords will be issued to the mailing address we have on file. For security reasons, we are unable to provide these to patients on the telephone.

If you forget or lose your user name or password, please request a new one, again by telephone, in person or via E Mail to mail.heathgate@nhs.net

Password access will be provided to parents or guardians of children under 14 years of age and to carers of patients for whom we have written consent to share information.

To access the on line service - click the Systmonline logo below.

App for iPhones

We are also now please to announce that systmonline, the service by which repeat prescriptions can be ordered or appointments booked and cancelled is available as an app for iphones, ipads and other Apple devices running the iOS operating system. The app is listed on the app store and is free to download. Simply search for SystmOnline (Please note the spelling of systm and it is all one word) in the app store.

The same log in details that are used for the web site services should be used to log in once the app is downloaded.

Dispensary

Both our surgeries have dispensaries. We are by law able to offer to dispense medication to our patients who live more than one mile (as the crow flies) from the chemist in Poringland. Patients living within the one mile radius need to visit a chemist (not necessarily the chemist in Poringland) to obtain their medication.

All patients registered at our Rockland surgery have the option of their medication dispensed to them from the surgery dispensary.

Both dispensaries are open the same hours as the main surgery opening times.

Please allow two full working days for prescriptions to be processed and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account.

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NHS charges

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

Prescription (per item): £8.60 (from 1st April 2017)

12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £104.00

3-month repayment certificate (PPC): £29.10

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

Prescriptions charges and exemptions

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.

Generic Medicines

NHS Norfolk is working with GPs to encourage them to prescribe generic medicines. Many patients question why the colour and shape of their drugs change weekly or monthly and we have detailed below the answers to these commonly asked questions.

Most medicines have two names - the unbranded name (generic name) and the brand name that the company who first produced it may use.

The generic name is part of the scientific name of the drug and will always be the same whoever makes it, but different companies will give the same drug different brand names.

Generic drugs look different because the manufacturer may choose different colours, tastes or shapes but this makes no difference at all to the active ingredient.

Generic medicines are generally cheaper than those with a brand name but are just as safe and effective. By prescribing a drug generically, your doctor is helping save money for the NHS, which can then be spent on other services.